Language-Rich Classrooms: Unlocking the Potential for All Students

Language is more than a means to communicate information. It is connected to our cognitive processes, social structures, and identities. Unfortunately, for many students with learning disabilities (LD), including multilingual learners with LD, developing and using language in meaningful ways is confined to the limited opportunities created in the classroom. Misinterpretation of the recent rescission of seminal guidance for the education of multilingual learners, may give educators pause in supporting and scaffolding the languages of multilingual learners, especially those students with LD. This article provides a framework for intentionally creating supportive, language-rich classrooms that affirm students’ identities, promote language development, and enhance learning.